The polar vortex has got everyone talking about cold weather. But while we are exclaiming about the ridiculously low temperatures and naming things “polar vortex,” there are plenty of people who are right in the thick of some of the most extreme weather the world has seen in decades. And though there have been some fatalities as a result of the cold weather, there is a far more common occurrence of people being stranded in their vehicles for days at a time. In these sorts of situations it is difficult to survive, but if you are properly prepared, it can be done. Here are some of the most important things for you to keep in your car in case of emergencies this winter.

Food

If you are going to be stuck in your car for 12 or more hours, there is one thing for which you will be grateful above all else: food. And even if it is not winter, storing emergency food should be a top priority for any car owner. Remember to store things that can last for a long (Read more....)

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

For our safety, edification, and survival we need to know what is happening and what to do about it. As the plethora of prepper blogs and forums reveal, preppers have a lot to say—much of it informative, enlightening, and insightful and some of it disinformation, illogical, unmitigated drivel, and even evil. We need to screen the nuggets from the waste. Logic, critical analysis, and a well-formed conscience help us do that.

Even now, before events have hit nadir, we avoid controlled media. At best, mass media is useless; at worst, it is destructive to mind, body, and soul. What mass media provides is not news or information, but diversions, disinformation, outright lies, smut, and hasbara. Thinking people have come to depend upon the “alternative media” of the internet, but, when times get worse, the internet “kill switch” will deprive us of that source. We will be “in the dark” unless we build alternative means and networks. Better to build now than during a crisis. Amateur radio, “ham radio,” is one way to build friendships and networks now, (Read more....)

The Colorado flooding earlier this year washed away highways, interstates and even small towns. In its wake, it left behind another lesson on disaster clean up and preparedness.

The storm

Heavy rainfall hit on September 9, and didn’t let up until Sept. 13. The storm front was trapped against the Rockies, which meant four days of heavy rain. Rainfall totals equaled 14.62 inches — about two-thirds of the annual rainfall for the area.

The aftermath

Nine people died in the flooding, and many, many more lost their homes. Eighteen towns, including Denver, were hit by flash flooding. Smaller towns high in the mountains were hit particularly hard, and assistance was a long time coming thanks to roads being completely washed out. In many places, only bedrock is left where asphalt used to be — a state that could remain until 2015.

Left without options for getting down the mountain, Colorado flood survivors can (Read more....)

Hurricanes and typhoons are very powerful storm systems that pack powerful winds and rain that have the capability of causing massive destruction to property and loss of life. For us, two hurricanes have left their mark on our collective memories, hurricanes Katrina and Sandy

Whichever side of the fence you are on about global warming, it is an undeniable fact that the more erratic and forceful weather patterns are connected to this phenomenon. The ferocity and frequency of these destructive events are increasing, and thus, more people are affected, their property and lives at the mercy of nature’s wrath.

If anything, physical evacuation from the affected area is probably the safest thing you can do, provided you have both the luxury of time ahead of the actual event, the proper logistics, and a place to stay away from the potential calamity. For those that do not have such an option, or insist on staying in their homes, it is imperative that the proper preparations (Read more....)

Flooding continues all around the world at a frequency and severity like we never seen before. A decade ago, this would have been considered an alarmist statement, but the incidences of destructive flooding have become so commonplace that some are already becoming desensitized to it. Give it a few more years, and it’ll be considered an everyday part of life.

For what part of this problem is caused by human carelessness is moot; if this indeed due to our carelessness, it was committed by our forebears a few generations ago. The damage has been done, and the best we can do is to not make things any worse by continuing humanity’s environmentally hazardous habits. In that sense, we are suffering due to their mistakes. Let us make sure that our own children don’t suffer on our behalf.

I realized that I didn’t cover all the bases in my previous guest post, and I aim to supplement that previous entry with more bits of advice and information. Here we go...

Vehicles

Once you’ve surmised how your area fares in a flooding situation (either by actual experience or finding suitable (Read more....)

When I say "apocalypse", please don't misunderstand. I actually meant any kind of destructive force,whether it's man-made or made by the wrath of Mother Nature. If one day, a nuclear holocaust or a super typhoon almost successfully destroy your home town or city, then you will need to do everything you can to survive. If you happen to live near an area where buildings and establishments are dependent on computers and all sorts of high-tech communications equipment, then consider yourself lucky. If you and your group are low on food and water, building your own communications center is a must. You can gather parts and put them together until you've successfully built a radio control device and you can call for help. However, what about those who live in the rural areas? Where exactly do you find such parts?

Actually, this isn't much of an issue anymore. Most data centers and communication centers nowadays

prefer to build their presence in the rural areas. They know for a fact that competition is strong enough in the urban scene, so they usually build and establish their businesses in places (Read more....)

Weather experts had predicted for decades that New Orleans, Louisiana, was in danger of catastrophic damage and devastation if the city received a direct hit by a large hurricane. Unfortunately, on August 29, 2005, the worst-case scenario that experts had foretold unfolded when Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a strong Category 3 storm and passed just east of the city of New Orleans. The storm left a trail of destruction that is unrivaled in modern times. The damage caused by Katrina can be broken down into several categories.

Lost Work and Productivity

Lost work and productivity are some of the hardest aspects of storm damage to accurately quantify. The fact that many jobs are provided by small businesses and self-employment makes collecting a complete data set difficult. However, the Department of Labor estimates that 230,000 jobs were permanently lost due to Hurricane Katrina.

Lives Lost

Hurricane Katrina’s most tragic statistic is the final total of 1,836 lives lost during and immediately after the storm. Nearly 1,600 were (Read more....)

Most people will tell you that both flood and earthquake disasters are extremely rare today. Even if this is true, the most recent disasters that have occurred in both the United States and beyond have been extremely devastating both emotionally and financially. If you didn’t have insurance and your house ended up in the middle of a natural disaster, how would you pay for it? Do you think that you would have enough money to potentially rebuild your entire house from scratch? Will homeowners insurance alone be enough to cover you? These are questions that everyone should be able to answer accordingly.

To answer one of the questions asked above, most homeowners insurance will not cover earthquake or flood damage. If a natural disaster occurs in a large enough area, assistance is normally provided through loans or grants by the government. This area will then be classified as a disaster area by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). If this type of scenario concerns you at all, the first thing that should be done is to go over your current insurance plan with your provider to find out what is and what isn’t covered. If you live in an area that is prone to either floods (Read more....)